Station-indicator.



A. MoINNIS. STATION INDICATOR.

\ APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1912. 1,073,1 53. Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

.1 T HBBTI. ,5 36 4 2 SHEE s s 10 34g- 1 By W Z ATTORNEYS WITNESSES 'pnLuMBM PLANOQRAPH co..WAsl-1INBTON, D. c.

A. MGINNIS.

STATION INDICATOR.

APPLIOATION'IILED MAR. 21, 1912.

1,073,1 53, Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES JTTORNEVS COLUMBIA PLANouRAPH c0..wAsmNGToN. D. c.

wow/v66 AUSTIN MCINNIS,

F RICHMOND, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA.

STATIGN-INDIGATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 21, 1912. Serial No. 685,207.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

. To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUSTIN MoINNIs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Richmond, in the Province of Prince Edward Island and Domini-on of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Station-Indicator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide anew and improved indicator or guide for use on trains and the like, for indicating while the train is moving the name of the next station at which the train is designed to stop.

A further object of the invention is the arrangement of improved means for feeding forward a tape having the names of the respective stations printed thereon, these means being so formed and adapted to operate as to feed the tape forward at the same speed and distance each step that the indicator is moved for always properly bringing to view the name of the station regardless of the roller on which the tape carrying the names is being wound, and regardless of the amount of tape wound on the roller.

7 the amount of the tape In carrying out the objects of the invention, a suitable housing is provided which is designed to be secured at a conspicuous place in the car so that the names of the stations displayed at the window of the easing may be readily observed. In the casing is arranged a pair of rollers for carrying a tape on which the names of the'stations are printed. Associated with the rollers and designed to operate the same, is an operating mechanism for feeding stepby step the rollers, and consequently the tape, this step by step motion being varied according to on the receiving rollers so that the tape will be moved the same distance past the window in the casing upon each movement of the mechanism.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

, Figure 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the invention complete; Fig. 2 is a section through-Fig. 1 approximately on the line 2 the same being shown on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary ,VlEW of a controlling arm and associated parts; Fig. 4t 1s a section through one of the rollers showing how the tape or ribbon is secured in place; Fig. 5 is a section through Fig. 2 on the line 5-5;.and Fig. 6 is a section through Fig. 2 on the line 6-6.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a base of any desired kind, to which is secured a housing 2 having a door or covering 3 hinged thereto at 4, and held against accidental opening by a catch 5. Arranged in the door 3 is a window 6 through which the name 7 on the tape or ribbon 8 may be seen, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Printed just above the window 6 is a sign 9 which explains what the name 7 is intended to indicate, namely, that the train will stop at the station designated by the name 7. It will, of course, be understood that the names of all the stations at which any particular train stops are to be provided on the tape 8, and when the train leaves the first station, an operating bar or cord 10 is pulled at once, and a mechanism hereinafter fully described will be operated for shifting the tape 8 a predetermined distance for indicating the next station at which the train will stop, After the train has stopped at the second station and has started for the third station, the rod or cable 10 is pulled again, and the tape 8 caused to move a second time for indicating the third station, whereby the occupants of the car may see while the train is moving which station will be the next stop.

The tape 8 is connected firmly to rollers 11 and 12 by suitable wedges 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Rigidly secured to the rollers 11 and 12 by any desired means, as for instance screws, are ratchet wheels 14 and 15 rotating in opposite directions so as to engage the oppositely positioned pawls 16 and 17 These pawls are pivotally mounted upon a supporting bar 18 which is formed with an enlarged rear end 19, having a semicircular face 20. The bar 18 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 21 and is designed to have connected therewith at preferably an equal distance from the shaft 21, springs 22 and 23. These springs are connected at theiropposite ends to arms 25 and 25, the arms being rigidly secured to the shaft 24 to which the crank 23 is secured, so that upon a movement of the crank 23 from the position in full lines (Fig. 3) to the position in dotted lines, the spring 23 will be brought under tension, and spring 22 released from tensionso that the bar 18 will swing and cause the pawl 16 to engage the ratchet wheel 14.

As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the spring 22 will hold the pawl 17 continuously in. engagement with the ratchet wheel 15 when under tension, and the spring 23 will continuously hold the pawl 16 in engagement with the ratchet wheel 14 when under tension. In order to properly support the bar 18, it is pivotally mounted on the shaft 21 which is rigidly secured to an operating lever 26 which is pivotally mounted at 27 to a frame 28 secured to the base 1. The frame 28 is connected to the fra'me 29 by cross bars 30.

From this construction and arrangement it will be seen that whenever the rod or cable 10 is pulled against the action of the retractile spring 31, either the pawl 16 or 17 will engage in turn one of the ratchet wheels and will consequently move the roll ers 11 and 12 and the tape 8. This part of the mechanism would be suflicient to move the tape 8, but is not sufficient to move the tape the same distance each time the lever 26 is moved, by reason of the fact that when the tape is wound on either of the rollers a comparatively small movement of the ratchet wheel will move a comparatively long section of the tape. In order to cause the tape 8 to travel the same distance upon each movement of the lever 26, a special feed controlling mechanism is provided, comprising pivotally mounted levers 32 and 33, co-

acting with the face 20 of the enlargement 19, and also coacting with the wound tape on the rollers. The lever 32 is formed with an extension 34 for engaging the face 20 when the pawl 17 is operating ratchet wheel 15. The position of the extension 34 is controlled by a roller 36 mounted on the arm or lever 32, and continuously bearing against either the roller 12 or the tape wound thereon. The lever 32 is pivotally mounted at 37 to the frame 28 so that after the lever 26 has moved forward to the dotted position shown in Fig. 2 and wound some tape on the roller 12, the same cannot move back to its original position as the tape wound on the roller 12 has raised roller 36 slightly, and the extension 34 has been consequently moved toward the front, whereby the extension 34 will act as a stop for the bar 18 and will prevent the full rearward movement of the bar 18 and lever 26. Upon each movement of lever 26 and roller 12, the extension 34 is moved for ward a short distance in proper ratio to the amount of tape wound on the roller 12. In this way the roller 12 is caused to move less and less as the tape is wound thereon. The reduced rotation of the roller 12 will cause, however, the usual forward movement of the tape 8 for indicating the respective stations along the track. After the train has reached the end of its travel, and starts back, the

crank 23' is shifted to the dotted position.

shown in Fig. 3 for causingthe pawl 16 to engage the ratchet wheel '14, whereby the ratchet wheel 15 will be operated upon each movement of the lever 26. When the crank 23 is shifted to the dotted position shown in 3, the face 20 will be moved pivotally beneath the extension 34, and moved I beneath the extension 38 formedon the inner end of the arm' 33. The arm 33 carriesa' Fig. from roller 39, similar to the roller 36, and designed to act in the same capacity, except that the same bears against the roller 11 or the tape mounted on roller 11. l 7

By the construction and arrangement of the levers 32 and 33, rollers 36 and 39, and associated co-acting parts, it will be seen that the feed members with the ratchet wheels will be automatically controlled for causing the rollers to be moved properly for feeding the tape 8 a predetermined distance each time that lever 36 is moved to its 621-: treme forward position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. 'By this construct-ion and arrangement the name on the tape 8 may be printed an equal distance apart and yet caused to properly appear beforethe window 6 as the tape is moved thesame distance each time the mechanism is operated regardless of the amount of tape wound on either of the rollers. 1

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a station indicator, a

housing, a

traveling tape formed with names thereon,

a pair of rollers designed to receive the opposite ends of said tape and to have said tape alternatively wound thereon, a ratchet wheel rigidly connected with each of said rollers, a pivotally mounted pawl mechanism arranged to alternatively engage said ratchet wheels for moving the same, an operating lever for giving said pawl mechanism a back and forth movement, a pairof pivotally mounted arms arranged to alternatively engage said pawl mechanism, and means connected with said arms and bearing against the tape on said rollers for con-' trolling the rearward movement of said arms for causing the pawl mechanism to engage j said ratchetwheel for a less distance back upon each movement of the operating lever 2. In a station indicator, a housing formed with a window, a tape formed with names thereon spaced equal distances apart 7 designed to move past said window for sucwhereby said rollers are moved for a shorter cessively bringing to view said .fnames a.

roller connected to each end of said tape'and adaptedto have said tape alternately wound thereon, a ratchet wheel rigidly connected with each of said rollers, a pivotally mounted substantially reciprocating bar, a pair of pivotally mounted pawls arranged on said bar adapted to engage said ratchet Wheels, a shaft for pivotally supporting said reciprocating bar, a pivotally mounted. lever carrying said shaft,-said pivotally mounted lever being adapted to reciprocate said reciprocating bar, a pair of springs connected to said reciprocating bar on the opposite sides of said shaft, a bifurcated member having one of said springs connected with each of its arms, a shaft for supporting said hifurcated member, an operating crank mem her for rocking said shaft and bringing said springs under tension successively, a pair of pivotally mounted arms designed to have one end engage the rear end or said bar and the opposite end to engage one of said rollers and the tape wound on the rollers, the ends of said arms engaging said reciprocating bar acting as stops for limiting the rearward movement of the reciprocating bar and consequently limiting the amount of feed whereby said ratchet wheels are moved a shorter distance as the tape is wound thereon for causing the tape to move'the same distance each time past said window regardless of which roller is having the tape wound thereon and regardless of the amount of tape wound on the rollers.

' 3. In a station indicator and the like, a pair of rollers, a tape with information an ranged thereon adapted to be wound on said rollers, a ratchet wheel rigidly secured to each of said rollers, pivotally mounted pawls adapted to engage the respective ratchet wheels, a supporting bar for supporting said pawls, a pivotally mounted lever, means for pivotally mounting said supporting bar on said pivotally mounted lever whereby the supporting bar is given a substantially longitudinal movement, a pair of springs for causing said pawls to'engage at different times said ratchet Wheels, and means bearing against one end of said supporting bar and against the tape on said rollers for regulating the amount of back and forth movement which may be given to said supporting bar and said pawls whereby the ratchet Wheels and rollers carried thereby are moved less and less as the tape is wound thereon in order to give an equal movement of said tape upon each operation of said pivotally mounted lever.

4. In a station indicator, a tape, a roller for said tape adapted to have said tape wound thereon, said roller being formed with a groove extending longitudinally thereof, the walls of said groove being arranged substantially parallel and at an angle to a radiating line extending from the axis of the roller, and a wedge formed substantially of the same shape as the groove adapted to be moved pivotally into the groove, said wedge being formed with a slot diagonally therethrough, said slot receiving the end of said tape whereby a pull on said tape will give a tendency to move pivotally said Wedge.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUSTIN McINNIS.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. Yno, DAVID F. MQLELLAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

